First recorded by Kristine (1975).
Hit version by Cliff Richard (US #6/UK #9 1976).
From the wiki: “‘Devil Woman’ was written by Terry Britten and Christine Holmes (singer of the Family Dogg, ‘Arizona‘) and was first recorded by Holmes under the name ‘Kristine’. It became a #9 UK hit in June 1976 for Cliff Richard, and was his first single to reach the Top 20 in the US. The song is told from the point of a view of a man jinxed from an encounter with a stray cat with evil eyes, and his discovery that the psychic medium (a Gypsy woman) whose help he sought to break the curse was the one responsible for the curse in the first place. Richard supposedly was hesitant to cut it until he modified some lyrics to play down the occult theme.”
Written and first recorded (as “(You Got to Have) Friends”) by Buzzy Linhart (1970).
Hit version by Better Midler (US #40/MOR #9 1973).
From the wiki: “‘Friends’ (also titled ‘(You Got to Have) Friends’) was written by Buzzy Linhart and Mark ‘Moogy’ Klingman and was first recorded by Linhart in 1970. Bette Midler was one of Linhart’s close friends during the early 1970s. While rehearsing for an audition for a Broadway show called Mirror Cracked, Linhart sang ‘Friends’ to Midler.
“After hearing the song, Midler asked Linhart if she could sing the song during a show that she was performing at the Continental Baths in New York. Soon after, Midler recorded the song (twice!) on her debut album The Divine Miss M, and released the song as a single backed with ‘Chapel of Love‘.
Co-written and first recorded by Ray Stevens (1976).
Hit version by The Captain & Tennille (US #13/MOR #12/CAN #11/AUS #67 1977).
From the wiki: “”Can’t Stop Dancin” is a song written by John Pritchard Jr. and Ray Stevens. It was first recorded by Stevens in 1976 for his album Just for the Record.
“The following year, husband-and-wife singing-duo the Captain & Tennile covered ‘Can’t Stop Dancing’ for their third studio album, Come In from the Rain. Released as that albums first promotional single, it peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., and #11 on the Canadian RPM Top Single chart.”
First recorded by The Move (B-side US #93/UK #7 1972).
Also recorded by Utopia (1975).
Hit version by Electric Light Orchestra (US #24/CAN #13/GER #42 1977).
From the wiki: “‘Do Ya’ was written by Jeff Lynne in 1971 and was first recorded by British Rock band The Move in 1972 when Lynne was a member of the group. The final Move line-up of 1972 that first recorded ‘Do Ya’ was the trio of Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan; together, they rode the Move’s transition into the Electric Light Orchestra. Released on a maxi single along with ‘California Man’ and ‘Ella James’, ‘Do Ya’ proved to be the Move’s farewell disc, and the only song recorded by the group to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 – albeit as a B-side. (The Move had ten UK Top 20 hits before its breakup.)
“ELO formed during The Move’s latter years to accommodate Wood’s and Lynne’s desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. ELO’s sixth album, the platinum-selling A New World Record, became their first UK Top 10 album when it was released in 1976. It contained the hit singles ‘Livin’ Thing’, ‘Telephone Line’, ‘Rockaria!’ … and ‘Do Ya’, a re-recording of the Move song, that charted Top 30 in the US in 1977.
First recorded by Paper Lace (US #96/UK #1 1974).
Other hit version by Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods (US #1 1974).
From the wiki: “‘Billy, Don’t Be a Hero’ was written by two British song writers Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, was first a hit in the UK for Paper Lace (‘The Night Chicago Died’); some months later it was covered in the US by Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods who scored a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
“In the song, a young woman is distraught that her fiancé chooses to leave the area with Army recruiters and go with them to fight. Because the song was released in 1974, it was associated by some listeners with the Vietnam War, though it actually does not reference a specific ‘war’.”
First recorded by Peter Frampton (1975).
Hit versions by Peter Frampton (US #12/UK #45/CAN #3 1976), Will to Power (US #1 1988), Big Mountain (US #6/UK #2/EUR #1 1994).
From the wiki: “‘Baby, I Love Your Way’ was written by Peter Frampton, and first released in September 1975 on the his self-titled studio album Frampton. A live version of the song was later released on Frampton’s 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, and it charted Top 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1988, the group Will To Power had a US #1 hit with a medley of this and ‘Free Bird’. Big Mountain hit #6 in the US and #2 in the UK with ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’ in 1994, from the soundtrack to Reality Bites.”
Written and first recorded by Moon Martin (1978).
Hit version by Robert Palmer (US #14/CAN #1/AUS #13/NZ #20 1979).
From the wiki: “‘Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)’ was written by Moon Martin (‘Cadillac Walk’) and first recorded for his 1978 album Shots From a Cold Nightmare. A year later the song was covered by Robert Palmer for his 1979 album Secrets and went on to become a US and Canadian hit. The main difference between Moon’s version and the cover by Robert Palmer is that Palmer’s version is in major key while Moon’s is in minor, making Martin’s original arrangement sound more ominous.”
First recorded by Sylvester & the Hot Band (1973).
Hit version by Three Dog Night (US #33 1974).
Also recorded by Frankie Miller (1974), Maria Muldaur (1974), B.J. Thomas (1974), Little Feat (1974, released 2000), Allen Toussaint (1976), Levon Helm (1978).
From the wiki: “‘Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)’ was written by Allen Toussaint, and was first recorded in 1973 by Sylvester & the Hot Band for the album Bazaar. In 1974, Toussaint would also produced an album by Frankie Miller, High Life, that included ‘Play Something Sweet’ among six other Toussaint-penned songs featured.
“It was Miller’s version, one among several other productions recorded in 1974 (including covers by B.J. Thomas, and by Maria Muldaur), that attracted the immediate interest of Three Dog Night whose 1974 arrangement would became the only release of ‘Play Something Sweet’ to crack the US Top-40.
“Another recording produced in 1974 was by Little Feat, during the course of the Feats Don’t Fail Me Now recording sessions. This version, however, would not be released until 2000 when it was included in the retrospective compilation Hotcakes & Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat.
“Toussaint’s own version of his song made its first appeared on a compilation titled Live at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 1976. Levon Helm would record ‘Play Something Sweet’ for his second album independent of The Band, Levon Helm, in 1978.”
First recorded by Roger Daltry (1973).
Hit version by co-writer Leo Sawyer (US #96/UK #6 1974).
From the wiki: “‘One Man Band’ is a song first recorded in 1973 by The Who’s lead singer, Roger Daltrey, for his debut solo album Daltrey. It was written by David Courtney and Leo Sayer (‘The Show Must Go On‘, ‘More Than I Can Say‘), and features Daltrey’s Acoustic guitar strumming. According to Daltrey, it ‘reminiscences of Shepherd’s Bush’ (a place in west London where Daltrey had grown up and where The Who were formed) and became one the albums highlights; later being released as a single in its own right in some European territories but without any US chart success.
“The song was covered by the co-writer, Leo Sayer, a year later (1974) for his solo album Just a Boy and was also released as a single which later became one of Sayer’s biggest UK hits.”
Written and first recorded by Shake Russell & Dana Cooper (1978).
Hit version by Ricky Skaggs (C&W #2/CAN #1 1983).
From the wiki: “‘You’ve Got a Lover’ was written by Shake Russell and was first recorded by Russell and Dana Cooper in 1978 for the album Songs on the Radio, much of which, including ‘You’ve Got a Lover’, was recorded as live broadcasts on radio station KLOL in Houston, TX.
“Covered by Ricky Skaggs in 1983, ‘You’ve Got a Lover’ was released as the fourth single from Skagg’s album Highways & Heartaches (preceded by ‘Heartbroke‘, ‘Highway 40 Blues’, and ‘I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could’), recipient of the 1983 ACM Album of the Year award.”
First released by Shaun Cassidy (US #7 1977).
Other hit version by Eric Carmen, writer (B-side US #19/MOR #6 1978).
From the wiki: “Written by Eric Carmen, ‘Hey Deanie’ was first recorded by Shaun Cassidy and released as a single from his album, Born Late the last week of November, 1977. It became his third and final Top 10 hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carmen would record ‘Hey Deanie’ himself for his 1978 album, Change of Heart, and it was released as the B side to the album’s title track single which went on to become a Top 20 hit in 1978.”
First single release by Dana (UK #31 March 1976).
Other hit versions by Mark Holden (AUS #13 April 1976); Eric Carmen, writer (US #11/MOR #1/CAN #1/NZ #30 May 1976).
Also recorded by John Travolta (1976, released 1980).
From the wiki: “‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’, written by former Raspberry band founder, Eric Carmen, was a UK hit first for pop singer Dana in March 1976. A month after Dana’s release, Australian singer Mark Holden released his promotional single arrangement. Carmen’s own single would be released in May 1976, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June.
“John Travolta also covered ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’ in 1976, on the John Travolta album, but his version was not released as a single until 1980 with no apparent chart impact.
“Frank Sinatra performed ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’ many times in concert in the late 1970s, most notably during the 1976 MDA Telethon broadcast hosted by Jerry Lewis. Fond of Eric Carmen’s songs, Sinatra had arrangements made of both this song and ‘All By Myself’ for concert performances, but never recorded either song.”
First recorded by Hot Chocolate (UK #22 1971).
Other hit version by April Wine (US #32/CAN #2 1972).
From the wiki: “The band was originally named ‘Hot Chocolate Band’ by Mavis Smith, who worked for the Apple Corps press office. This was quickly shortened to Hot Chocolate by Mickie Most. The group started their recording career making a reggae version of John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (see below); told that he needed permission before releasing the song, band founder Errol Brown contacted Apple Records, discovered that John Lennon liked his version, and the group was subsequently signed to Apple Records. The link, however, was short-lived as The Beatles were starting to break up, and the Apple connection soon ended.
“Undeterred, Hot Chocolate signed with the RAK record label and began releasing tracks that became hits, such as ‘Love Is Life’ (UK #6 1970), ‘You Could Have Been a Lady’ (UK #22 1971) and ‘Brother Louie‘ (1973). ‘You Could Have Been a Lady’ would later be covered in 1972 by Canadian rock band April Wine, who would score with it the most successful Canadian single of their group career.”
First recorded (as “Beck”) by Chelsea (c. 1971).
Hit version by KISS (US #7 1977).
From the wiki: “‘Beth’ was co-written (as ‘Beck’) by drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Stan Penridge in 1971 before Criss had joined KISS, while he and Penridge were members of the band Chelsea. (‘Beck’ was the nickname of fellow Chelsea member Mike Brand’s wife, Becky, who would call often during practices to ask Mike when he was coming home.) ‘Beck’ was first recorded sometime around 1971 by Chelsea but now appears only as a bootleg.
“In its next incarnation, the song became a last-minute addition to the 1977 album, Destroyer, released in 1977. According to Bill Aucoin, the manager of KISS at that time, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley did not want ‘Beth’ on the album because it was not a typical KISS song. Aucoin insisted on keeping the song on the record. During the recording sessions for the song, Criss was the only KISS member in the studio, making it the only group song that features no instrumental performances by any other member of the band. Criss is backed by a piano and a string orchestra, a stark departure from the hard rock-oriented band.
“‘Beth’ was first released as the B-side to ‘Detroit Rock City’ but radio stations, particularly one in Atlanta, Georgia, began playing it more than the A-side and the B-side, ‘Beth’, quickly became a highly-requested selection. Kiss and Casablanca Records then reissued ‘Beth’ as the A-side with ‘Detroit Rock City’ as the B-side. The single went Gold in the United States (the first KISS single to do so) in January 1977. Both producer Bob Ezrin and band member Simmons were also credited with changing the song’s title to ‘Beth’ when recorded by KISS.”
Co-written and first recorded by Leo Sayer (UK #2/IRE #3 1973).
Other hit version by Three Dog Night (US #4 1974).
From the wiki: “‘The Show Must Go On’ was written by Leo Sayer and David Courtney and first recorded by Sayer in 1973, becoming his first hit recording and was included on Sayer’s debut album Silverbird. The song uses a circus theme as a metaphor for dealing with the difficulties and wrong choices of life. Early in Sayer’s career, he performed it dressed and made up as a pierrot clown.
“The song was covered by Three Dog Night, whose version was released in 1974, and became the group’s final Top 10 US recording. In Sayer’s version, the last line of the chorus is ‘I won’t let the show go on’. Three Dog Night sang it as ‘I must let the show go on’, which Sayer was reportedly not happy about.”
Written and first recorded by Billy Joel (1971).
Also recorded (as “He’s Got a Way”) by Merrilee Rush (unreleased 1971).
Hit version by Billy Joel (US #23/MOR #4 1982).
From the wiki: “‘She’s Got a Way’ was written by Billy Joel and originally released on his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971). In a 1981 interview, Joel expressed mixed feelings about the song: ‘ … I thought it was cornball for years. I had trouble singing it at first. Then I got into it and decided everybody has a corny side, I suppose.’ A re-recording, performed live, was a featured single from Joel’s 1981 album Songs in the Attic.
First recorded by Daniel Boone (UK #17/NZ #1 1971).
Other hit version by Wayne Newton (US #4/MOR #3/C&W #55 1972).
From the wiki: “‘Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast’ was written by Peter Callander and Geoff Stephens. Daniel Boone (‘Beautiful Sunday’) released the original version of the song as his debut single in 1971. It reached #1 in New Zealand and #17 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the featured track on his 1971 album, Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast. Wayne Newton recorded a cover of ‘Daddy’ in 1972 as a come-back single (having last charted Top 40 in 1965). Newton’s version reached #3 on the MOR chart, #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #55 on the Country chart in 1972.”
Written and first recorded by Peter McCann (B-side 1976).
Hit version by Jennifer Warnes (US #6/MOR #1/C&W #17 1977).
From the wiki: “‘Right Time of the Night’ had been recorded by its composer Peter McCann for his 1976 self-titled album, and served as B-side for his own 1977 Top Ten hit ‘Do You Wanna Make Love’.
“When it came time for Jennifer Warnes to record material for her 1977 self-titled album, Jennifer Warnes, her first on the Arista label, ‘Right Time of the Night’ was not among the original tracks recorded. Arista president Clive Davis later told Billboard: ‘If a [singer such as] Jennifer Warnes submits an album which is great but lacks a hit single, I and my A&R staff will say: ‘Listen, you need a hit. Because you’re not really going to break off FM airplay’ … So we gave her ‘Right Time of the Night’.’
Written and first recorded by Sutherland Brothers (1972).
Hit version by Rod Stewart (US #58/UK #1/IRE #1/NOR #1 1975 |UK #3 1976).
From the wiki: “‘Sailing’ was written by Gavin Sutherland and recorded by The Sutherland Bros. Band (featuring the Sutherland Brothers Gavin and Iain). Released in June 1972, it can be found on the album Lifeboat but was never released as a single.
“Rod Stewart recorded the song at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, for his 1975 album Atlantic Crossing, and it was subsequently a #1 hit in the UK in September 1975 for four weeks. The single returned to the UK Top 10 a year later when used as the theme music for the BBC documentary series Sailor, about HMS Ark Royal. It remains Stewart’s biggest-selling single in the UK, having been a hit there twice, with sales of over a million copies.
“Stewart’s music video was shot in New York Harbor in 1975 and credited with a 1978 completion date. It also was one of the first to be aired on MTV when the cable music channel launched on 1 August 1981. Despite Stewart’s great popularity in the United States, the song never climbed higher than #58 on the Billboard Hot 100.”
First recorded by Liza Minnelli (1977).
Hit version by Frank Sinatra (US #32/MOR #10/UK #4 1979).
From the wiki: “‘Theme from New York, New York’ (or ‘New York, New York’) is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and first performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. The song did not become a popular hit until it was picked up in concert by Frank Sinatra during his performances at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978. (It was not even nominated for the Academy Award for ‘Best Song’). Subsequently, Sinatra recorded it in 1979 for his 1980 Trilogy album, and ‘New York, New York’ became one of his signature songs.
“Despite Sinatra’s version becoming more familiar, original singer Minnelli had two of the tune’s most memorable live performances – during the July 4, 1986 ceremony marking the rededication of the Statue of Liberty after extensive renovations; the other, in the ‘seventh inning stretch’ of a New York Mets game that was the first pro sports event in the New York metro area after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Previously, Minneli also sang ‘New York, New York’ at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles, accompanied by 24 pianos and hundreds of strobe lights.”
First recorded by Thelma Houston (1973).
Hit version by Diana Ross (US #1/R&B #14/UK #5/CAN #4 1975).
From the wiki: “‘Do You Know Where You’re Going To’ was written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin (‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman‘, ‘Up on the Roof‘), and was first recorded in 1973 by Thelma Houston for a New Zealand-only single release (Tamla Motown 872). In 1975, the song was repurposed by Masser and used as the theme to the movie Mahogany. Sung in the film by Diana Ross, it became one of the most recognizable elements of the film. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1975, and was also nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Original Song.”
Written and first recorded by Batteaux (1973).
Hit version by El Chicano (US #40/MOR #22/R&B #98/AUS #54 1974).
From the wiki: “‘Tell Her She’s Lovely’ was written by brothers Robin and David Batteau of the band Batteaux. Robin had previously played violin in the bands Appaloosa, and Compton & Batteau. After signing with personal manager, Richard Flanzer (Roger Daltrey, Manhattan Transfer, Dr. John), Batteaux auditioned for legendary hit maker, Clive Davis. Columbia Records signed the brothers immediately. A May 1973 review, in Billboard magazine, of the group’s performance at the Bitter End in New York, noted:
“Batteaux offers two lead vocalists and a delicate instrumental style that combines electric elements with violin and gentle, rolling rhythms. The material itself was uneven. The group was not; playing and singing were excellent.”
“El Chicano, originally formed by Freddie Sanchez under the name The VIP’s, arose during a period of increasing Chicano consciousness in America. In 1974, the West Coast band would cover ‘Tell Her She’s Lovely’ and chart with it in the US Top 40, their second – and last – Top 40 appearance.”
First recorded by Paul Kelly (unreleased 1973).
Hit versions by Jackie Moore (R&B #92 1978), Karla Bonoff (US #19/MOR #3 1982), Ronnie McDowell (C&W #10 1983).
Also recorded by Paul Kelly (1993).
From the wiki: “‘Personally’ was first recorded in 1973 by its composer Paul Kelly, with Gene Page producing, for Kelly’s Don’t Burn Me album. However, the track was not released at that time. Kelly re-recorded the song in 1993 for the album Gonna Stick and Stay (see above).
“The first released version of ‘Personally’ was recorded in 1978 by R&B singer Jackie Moore, best-known for her gold single 1970 song ‘Precious, Precious’ (#30, 1971). Moore’s single, ‘Personally’, peaked at a disappointing #92 on the R&B chart, not even charting on the Billboard Hot 100.
“The song was later covered in 1982 with greater success by Karla Bonoff (‘Tell Me Why‘, ‘All My Life‘) and charted in the US Top 20. A 1983 cover by country singer Ronnie McDowell charted Top 10 on the US Country Singles chart.”
First recorded (as an outtake) by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (1976, released 2010).
Commercially-released by Greg Kihn (1979), Gary “U.S.” Bonds (1982).
Also recorded (live) by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (1980, released 1998).
From the wiki: “‘Rendezvous’ was written by Bruce Springsteen during the recording sessions for the Darkness On The Edge of Town album but was not included in the album’s final release because Bruce felt it could interrupt the sonic intensity of the album.
“After making a guest appearance with The Knack at L.A.’s The Troubadour club in October 1978, Springsteen first offered the group ‘Rendezvous’ or ‘Don’t Look Back’ for their debut album, Get the Knack, but later had second thoughts thinking his own ‘Rendezvous’ recording would be included in the final mix of Darkness On The Edge of Town and requested they not record it.
“After his appearance with The Knack the group’s Bruce Gary recalls, ‘I asked Bruce if he had any songs that The Knack might use in our stage show, and he offered two unreleased numbers, ‘Rendezvous’ and ‘Don’t Look Back.’ The band selected ‘Don’t Look Back,’ which was ‘Knackified’ and recorded in one take at MCA Whitney studios in April, 1979. The tune was originally scheduled to appear on the Get The Knack album, but was pulled at the request of Springsteen’s management in order to allow him to release the song first.’ (But that did not happen. Ironically, the Knack’s ‘Don’t Look Back’ would ultimately be released first … in 1992 on the compilation album Retrospective, six years before the official release of Springsteen’s own studio recording on Tracks in 1998.)
“Bruce ultimately offered ‘Rendezvous’ to another Springsteen devotee, Greg Kihn (‘because I liked the way he did ‘For You’ on that early album’), who released it in 1979 on the Greg Kihn Band album With the Naked Eye.
“‘Rendezvous’ was covered again in 1982 by Gary ‘U.S.’ Bonds with a recording produced by Springsteen, a Bonds devotee, and Stevie Van Zandt, and backed by Springsteen’s E Street Band. After recording the album, Columbia Records had Bruce Springsteen remove his vocals from the tracks he backed on Bond’s On The Line album (distributed by competitor EMI Records), with some rerecorded with Van Zandt. Even so, Springsteen can still be heard on several of the tracks, including ‘Rendezvous’, but he is not credited in the original liner notes.
